Re: [Phys-l] Fwd: [tap-l] Edmund Scientific pushing pseudoscience

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

It is in their online catalog.

They may be having trouble selling stuff to schools so they are trying a
popular approach.  The actual item does not have a detection scale
mentioning ghosts.

They also market a variety of gag things, so they are in both the scientific
world of supply and the consumer market.  It is called capitalism where you
make products that will sell and advertise them so as to maximize profits.
If I were running the company I would carefully say that it measures EMF
which ghost hunters think indicate the presence of ghosts.  They seem to be
sold out so the tactic may have worked.  If they survive as a result and can
continue to supply inexpensive good quality scientific items, we all
benefit.  I would say the advertising is a bit purple.

One might hope that the ghost detector might entice some young consumers to
use it and discover things about science in the end.  At least they are
buying an actual scientific instrument and not an E-meter.  Who knows what
might happen once they explore with the device?  Does anyone boycott toy
stores that sell unscientific items?  Should we?  Hooke made a sensation by
selling large pictures of microscopic animals.   Hey did any of us find
fascination with the UFO craze and then go into science? Was any of the
advertising for his product pandering to the sensational?

We have to worry when Pasco or Vernier does this!

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> Apropos of the DATA, FACTS, etc. thread?
>
> bc takes liberties.
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Matt Lowry <mlowry@lfschools.net>
> > Date: 2009, October 19,  08:57:55 PDT
> > To: "'tap-l@lists.ncsu.edu'" <tap-l@lists.ncsu.edu>
> > Subject: [tap-l] Edmund Scientific pushing pseudoscience
> > Reply-To: tap-l@lists.ncsu.edu
> >
> > Howdy all,
> >
> > I'm wondering how many of you have heard about this: Edmund
> > Scientific is now marketing & selling what they call a "ghost
> > meter".  It gets better - they're also actively marketing & selling
> > remote viewing DVDs which supposedly teach students how to reach
> > their untapped "psychic potential". *facepalm*
> >
> > http://skepticalteacher.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/edmund-
> > pseudoscientific-sells-ghost-detectors-other-woo/
> >
> > Has anyone else heard about this nonsense?  Are other science
> > supply companies doing the same thing?  I think I will start to
> > call Edmund by a different name from now on. Edmund
> > Pseudoscientific.  Needless to say, I won't be giving them any more
> > of my business  >:(
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Matt Lowry
> > Lake Forest HS
> > College of Lake County
> > Illinois
>
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